Do you have something usable to get rid of but hate to see it thrown in a landfill? Are you looking for something that someone else may not need anymore? The Freecycle Network(TM) may be the answer for you.

I have been a member of our local Freecycle group here in Grand Rapids for a couple years now. I’ve been able to find people who want things that I can no longer use, such as craft supplies, my hockey stick, deer corn etc. I’ve also found things I was needing such as an old hose and water bin for an irrigation project I was planning. My favorite ‘find’ was a collection of “Organic Gardening” magazines that someone no longer needed and that I was drooling for!

Here’s how it works. Go to the Freecycle homepage and search for the group nearest you. It’s free to sign up. Then post something you’re looking for or post something you have to give away. There will be a huge list of posts that you can browse. If you find something that you’re interested in, you can email the person who posted and let them know of your interest. The main thing is everything must be kept free. There is no trading or selling allowed on Freecycle. There are a few other restrictions as well, such as no posting of computer software and no seeking out things to re-sell them. I will say that things tend to go quickly on Freecycle.

The Freecyle concept is a brilliant one and I highly encourage you to try it. Let’s keep as much as we can out of our landfills!

I happened to see a bit of the Rachael Ray show today and found it rather interesting. She was discussing anti-aging with Dr. Perricone (a dermatologist and anti-aging specialist).

I was pleased that Dr. Perricone was recommending healthy fats such as olive oil and fish oil to help prevent aging. He also suggests that we choose low-glycemic foods and grains. Perricone says low-fat diets aren’t good and that Prozac made it’s appearance around the same time that Prozac did. He said people were getting depressed without enough fat.

It is so encouraging to see good nutritional advice being given on national TV. I’m so sick of seeing low-fat products marketed all over the place. Fat is good for us and we need it! We need to choose good fats such as unrefined olive oil, butter and coconut oil. Let’s keep the good fat and instead do away with things like MSG, refined oils, margarine, white flour and high-fructose corn syrup.